Isahluko 13—Imvuselelo Emazweni AseNetherlands LaseScandinavia.

Elizweni laseNetherlands uchuku lukapapa lwabangela ukuhlamuka okukhulu. Emakhulwini ayisikhombisa weminyaka uLuther engakaqali umsebenzi wakhe weMvuselelo upapa wahlanyukelwa ngamabhishopi amabili, ababethunyelwe esigodlweni sebandla edolobheni leRoma, lapho abafika babona khona isimo sikapapa seqiniso. Bakhuluma amazwi alandelayo ngemva kwalokho: UNkulunkulu “wenze ibandla ukuthi libe yinkosikazi yakhe, ulinike imfanelo yalo elungileyo njalo engapheliyo, ngamalobolo angapheliyo njalo angabuniyo, njalo ulinike umqhele ongapheliyo, ...konke lokhu kungena esambeni sakho njengesela elitshontshayo. Uzibeka ethempelini likaNkulunkulu; kulokuthi ubengumfundisi, usube yisilo esizifihle phakathi kwezembatho zemvu;... usenza sikholwe ukuthi ungumbhishopi ophakemeyo, kodwa uziphatha njengombusi olochuku... Wena kumele ubeyinceku edlula zonke, njengoba uzibiza, wenza imizamo yokuthi ube yinkosi yamakhosi wonke...ungcolisa imithetho kaNkulunkulu...UMoya oyiNgcwele nguye owakha amabandla wonke emhlabeni...Idolobho lika Nkulunkulu wethu, esiyizakhamizi zakhona, lifinyelela indawo zonke zasezulwini; njalo likhulu okwedlula idolobho elibizwa ngebizo elithi Bhabhiloni ngabaprofethi, elizenza lona elingcwele, elizama ukufinyelela ezulwini ngamandla walo, njalo eliziphakamisa ngokuthi lilolwazi njalo ngeke labhujiswa, kodwa ekucineni loba lingela lwazi, lizitshela ukuthi alizange lenze amaphutha, njalo ngeke liwayenze.” — (Gerard Brandt, History of the Reformation in and About the Low Countries, b. 1, p.6). {GC 237.1}IEP 237.1

Abanye baqhubeka bephakama ngokuhamba kwesikhathi besitsho amazwi afananayo. Njalo abafundisi bevangeli, ngokuhambela indawo ezinengi besaziwa ngamabizo ahlukeneyo, babehamba njengabavangeli, njalo behambisa endaweni zonke ulwazi lwevangeli, bazebayangena laselizweni laseNetherlands. Imfundiso yabo yagcwala indawo yonke ngesikhatshana. Baphendulela iBhayibhili lamaWaldensi laba selimini lwesiDutch. Batsho ukuthi “kwakulemfundiso elungileyo kilo, kwakungekho ukuphikisana, lenganekwane, lokudukisa, kodwa kwakulamazwi weqiniso; lokuthi kwakulezinye ingxenye ezazinzima ukuzwisiseka kodwa kwakulendaba ezimnandi lezingcwele ezazingatholakala phakathi kwalo.” (Ibid, b. 1, p. 14). Babhala ngale indlela abangane benkolo yeqiniso endulo. {GC 238.1}IEP 238.1

Ngaleso isikhathi kwaqala ukuhlukumeza kwebandla leRoma; kodwa phakathi kokuhlukunyezwa lokhu amakholwa aqhubeka esanda, bechaza ukuthi iBhayibhili kuphela yilo elaliyinsika engaguqukiyo yenkolo yesiKrestu, njalo “kwakungela muntu okwakumele abanjwe ngamandla ukuthi akholwe, kodwa kwakumele anqotshwe ngokutshumayela.” — (Martyn, vol. 2, p. 87). {GC 238.2}IEP 238.2

Imfundiso kaLuther yathola umhlabathi ovundileyo elizweni laseNetherlands, njalo amadoda ayezimisele njalo ethembekile aphakama njalo atshumayela ivangeli. Kwezinye zezigaba zelizwe laseHolland kwaphuma uMenno Simons. Yena owayefundiswe ngaphansi kwebandla leRoma, njalo wagcotshwa njengompristi, wayengazake azwe ngeBhayibhili, njalo wazimisela ukungalibali esesaba ukuthi wayezadukiswa acine engumhlamuki laye. Kwathi ukuthandabuza kwenkonzo okwakufundiswa ukuthi yayingeyokuguqula iwayini lesinkwa kube ngumzimba legazi likaJesu okweqiniso kufika kuye, wakuthatha njengesilingo sikaSathane, wathandaza ngamandla efuna ukuzikhulula emcabangweni lowu, kodwa kwehlula. Wazama ukuzifaka endaweni zokuzijabulisa efuna ukuthi akhohlwe ngomcabango lowu kodwa kwehlula. Ngemva kwesikhathi waqala ukubala iThestamenti eLitsha, njalo ngemva kokufunda lengwalo zikaLuther, wacina esamukela imfundiso yemvuselelo. Ngemva kwesikhatshana wabona endaweni ababeyakhelane layo umuntu owayequnywa ikhanda ngoba wayekhethe ukubhabhathizwa kakutsha. Lokhu kwabangela ukuthi abale iBhayibhili efuna ukuzwisisa imfundiso yokubhabhathiza abantwana abancane. Wadinga waswela ubufakazi bayo eBhayibhilini, kodwa wathola ukuthi ukuvuma izono njalo lokukholwa yikho kuphela okwakudingeka ukuthi umuntu abhabhathizwe. {GC 238.3}IEP 238.3

UMenno watshiya ibandla leRoma njalo wanikela impilo yakhe ekutshumayeleni amaqiniso lawa ayesewatholile. Elizweni laseGermany lelaseNetherlands iqula labazenzisi ababezenza bona amaKrestu laselivukile, njalo babefundisa imfundiso engalunganga, njalo babesebenzisa udlame lokulwa. UMenno wananzelela ukuthi umphumela weqembu leli wawuzaba mubi kakhulu, ngakho wazimisela ukuthi wayezabaphikisa aveze ububi babo bonke. Basebebanengi ababedukiswe yimfundiso leyi, kodwa ababephike ezinye imfundiso zabo, njalo kwakulabantu abanengi ababeyinsali yenkolo yasendulo, ababeyizithelo zemfundiso yamaWaldensi. Phakathi kwabantu ababefana labo uMenno wasebenza ngamandla njalo lokuphumelela. {GC 239.1}IEP 239.1

Okweminyaka engamatshumi ababili lanhlanu wayehamba, lomkakhe labantwana, bedlula ebunzimeni obukhulu njalo ezikhathini ezinengi babefaka impilo zabo engozini. Wahambela indawo zaseNetherlands laseGermany, esebenza esikhathini esinengi ebantwini ababengelazikhundla eziphezulu emphakathini kodwa etshiya indonsela enkulu. Wayelesipho sokukhuluma, loba nje wayengafundanga kakhulu, wayeyindoda eqotho, elomoya wokuzithoba, njalo lokuzehlisa, ebonisa umzekeliso omuhle ngezenzo zakhe ezazisekela imfundiso ayeyinika abantu, ngokwenza njalo wenza ukuthi abantu bamthembe. Abalandeli bakhe babegcwele indawo yonke njalo bencindezelekile. Bahlupheka kakhulu nxa babezithola besendaweni eyodwa lequla leli elalizenza amaKrestu. Loba kwakunjalo inani labantu abanengi laphenduka ngenxa yokusebenza kwakhe. {GC 239.2}IEP 239.2

Kwakungekho eyinye indawo lapho imfundiso yeqiniso eyamukelwa khona okwedlula elizweni laseNetherlands. Kwamanye amazwe abalandeli beqiniso bathola ukuhlupheka okunganeno kulalokho okwakusenzeka elizweni leli. Elizweni laseGermany uCharles V wayefake umthetho wokuthi imfundiso yeMvuselelo ingalandelwa, njalo wayezimisele ukuthi abalandeli bayo batshiswe, kodwa ababusi bama njengomgoqo wokuthi angakwenzi lokhu. Elizweni laseNetherlands amandla wakhe ayemakhulu, njalo imithetho yokuhlukumeza abantu yabuya ngokulandelana. Ukubala iBhayibhili lokulilalela kumbe ukutshumayela ngalo, kumbe ukukhuluma ngalo nje, kwakuthwala isigwebo sokutshiswa emlilweni. Ukukhuleka kuNkulunkulu ensitha, lokwala ukukhothamela izithombe, kumbe ukuhlabela ingoma, lakho kwakulesigwebo sokufa. Lalabo ababekhetha ukuphikisa imfundiso zamanga, babebulawa, amadoda ayequnywa ngenkemba, abesifazana babegqitshelwa bephila. Inkulungwane zabantu zaphela ngaphansi kokubusa kukaCharles loPhilip ll. {GC 239.3}IEP 239.3

Kwenzeka ngolunye usuku ukuthi imuli yonke ilethwe phambi kwababulali laba, eyayibekwe icala lokuhlala ekhaya kulokuyahlanganyela enkonzweni yebandla leRoma. Nxa yayibuzwa ngenkonzo ababezenza ensitha indodana yabo encane yaphendula yathi: “Siwa ngamadolo, njalo sithandaze kuNkulunkulu ukuthi akhanyisele ingqondo zethu njalo asithethelele izono zethu; sithandazela umbusi wethu ukuthi umbuso wakhe ungaphumelela njalo abalempilo yentokozo, sithandazela abehluleli bethu ukuthi uNkulunkulu engabavikela.”- (Wylie, b. 18, ch. 6). Abanye balabo ababebathonisisa bathinteka kakhulu, kodwa loba kwakunjalo ubaba wabo lomunye wamadodana wakhe bagwetshelwa ukutshiswa ngomlilo. {GC 240.1}IEP 240.1

Ulaka lwababulali lwathola usowabo ekukholweni kwezinceku zikaNkulunkulu. Kwakungasomadoda kuphela, kodwa abesifazane labantwana labo babonisa isibindi esinganyikinyekiyo. “Amakhosikazi wabo ayesima duze lamadoda wabo nxa babetshiswa, babethi nxa besitsha, bebanyenyezele amazwi wokubaqinisa, kumbe bahlabele ingoma zokubaqinisa.” “Amantombazana ayelala egodini lokungcwatshwa kwabo sengathi bangena endlini yabo yokulala, kumbe baye emlilweni begqoke impahla zabo ezinhle, sengathi babesiya emtshadweni wabo.”- (Ibid, b. 18, ch. 6). {GC 240.2}IEP 240.2

Njengasezinsukwini lapho ababusi ababekhonza izithixo ababezame khona ukutshabalalisa ivangeli, igazi lamaKrestu laba yinhlanyelo. (Tertullian, Apology, par. 50). Ukubulawa kwabantu kwabangela ukuthi inani labafakazi beqiniso likhule. Eminyakeni yonke umongameli, wayegcwala ulaka nxa wayebona ukuthi ukuzimisela kwabantu kwakusehlula uchuku lonke ayelusebenzisa, waqhubeka ngokwenza uchuku lwakhe kodwa imizamo yakhe yonke yaba yize. Ngaphansi kukaWilliam waseOrange umvukela owabakhona wabangela ukuthi kube lenkululeko yokukhonza uNkulunkulu elizweni laseHolland. {GC 240.3} IEP 240.3

Ezintabeni zasePiedmont, lasemagcekeni aseFrance lasekhunjini lwaseHolland, ivangeli laqhubeka ngaphansi kophawu lwegazi labalandeli balo. Kodwa emazweni ababeyakhelane lawo lathola amasango alokuthula. Abafundi edolobheni laseWittenberg, nxa babebuyela emakhaya wabo, bathwalela ukholo lwabo eScandinavia. Ukubhalwa kwengwalo zikaLuther, lakho kwancedisa ukuhambisa ukukhanya. Abantu basemazweni lawa, batshiya ububi, lokuziphakamisa, njalo lamasiko weRoma, bamukela ubuhle, lokulunga, njalo leqiniso elinika ukuphila elivela eBhayibhilini. {GC 240.4}IEP 240.4

UTausen, “uMvuseleli waseDenmark,” wayeyindodana yomlimi. Umfana lowu ekukhuleni kwakhe, wabonisa ukukhalipha kwengqondo, wayelambele imfundo, kodwa lokhu kazange akuthole, ngenxa yesimo sabazali bakhe, ngakho wangena ethempelini ukuba abengesinye sezisebenzi zebandla leRoma. Kule indawo ukuhlambuluka kwempilo yakhe, ndawonye lokusebenza nzima ngokwethembeka, kwenza ukuthi athandwe ngumphathi wabo. Nxa babemhlolisisa bananzelela ukuthi wayelezipho ezazizayenza ukuthi abeyisisebenzi esiqotho ebandleni esikhathini esizayo. Kwahlelwa ukuthi athole imfundo ezikolweni eziphezulu ezaseGermany kumbe eNetherlands. Wanikwa ithuba lokuthi akhethe isikolo ayesithanda yena, ngaphandle kwesikolo saseWittenberg. Abaphathi bebandla babehlose ukuthi angabi sengozini yokuthola itshefu yemfundiso yemvuselelo. {GC 241.1}IEP 241.1

UTausen wathunyelwa esikolo esasisedolobheni laseCologne, esasisendaweni lapho inkolo yebandla leRoma eyayiqine khona. Kule indawo waqala ukuzonda indlela ababalisi bale indawo ababefundisa ngayo. Ngesikhathi esifananayo wathola imbhalo kaLuther. Waqala ukuyifunda ngokumangala langentokozo, njalo wafisa ukuzwa omunye wabaVuseleli efundisa. Kodwa ngokwenza njalo kwakuzabangela ukuthi azondise abaphathi bebandla, njalo lokulahlekelwa yikuxhaswa ayekuthola ebandleni. Ngemva kwesikhatshana wenza isinqumo sokuyafunda esikolweni saseWittenberg. {GC 241.2}IEP 241.2

Ekubuyeleni kwakhe elizweni laseDenmark, wabuyela futhi emsebenzini wasethempeleni. Akulamuntu owayemcabangela ukuthi wayesekholwa imfundiso kaLuther, kavezelanga muntu imfihlo yakhe, kodwa wazama ngokunanzelela okukhulu ukudonsela abanye emfundisweni yeqiniso njalo lasempilweni yobungcwele. Wavula iBhayibhili, njalo waqala ukubachazela iqiniso, ekucineni watshumayela ngoKrestu kibo njengomsindisi wabo njalo olithemba labo elilodwa lokuthola usindiso. Omunye wabaphathi bebandla wazonda kakhulu ngoba lowo ababefake ithemba labo lonke phezu kwakhe ukuthi uzavikela ibandla wayesefundisa iqiniso leBhayibhili. Bamkhipha esikhundleni ayelaso bamfaka kweyinye indawo entolongweni lapho ayehlala elindwe khona. {GC 241.3}IEP 241.3

Ngemva kwesikhatshana abaphathi bendawo leyi ababemfake kuyo bamangala nxa babebona izisebenzi ezinengi kule indawo zisamukela inkolo yeMvuselelo. Phakathi kwendawo yokuvalelwa ababemfake kuyo uTausen wayeqhubekile wabavezela iqiniso leBhayibhili. Ngabe abaphathi bebandla babelolwazi lwendlela ibandla elaliphatha ngayo abahlamuki, ilizwi likaTausen lalingeke liphinde lizwakale emhlabeni, kodwa kulokuthi bambulale, bamxotsha endaweni yakibo. Ngemva kwalokho babengaselawo amandla. Kwabekwa umthetho ngumbusi welizwe, owawuvikela abantu ababetshumayela imfundiso entsha. UTausen waqala ukutshumayela. Amabandla aqala ukuvulwa, njalo abantu bagcwala bezolalela. Kwakulabanye abantu njalo ababetshumayela iqiniso elifananayo. Ithestamenti eLitsha elaliguqulelwe elimini lwesiDanish lalo lahanjiswa endaweni ezinengi. Imizamo yonke eyenziwa ngabaphathi bebandla yokunyathezela iqiniso yabangela ukuthi likhule ngamandla, ngemva kwesikhatshana ilizwe lonke laseDenmark lamukela inkolo yeqiniso. {GC 242.1}IEP 242.1

Elizweni laseSweden ngokufanayo, abantu abatsha ababenathe emthonjeni waseWittenberg, bathwalela amanzi wokuphila endaweni zakibo. Abaphathi ababili bemfundiso yeMvuselelo elizweni laseSweden, uOlaf loLaurentius Petri, amadodana ayedabuka edolobheni laseOrebro, ababefunde ngaphansi kaLuther loMelanchthon, njalo babelomfutho wokufundisa amaqiniso abasebehlangane lawo. NjengoMvuseleli omkhulu, uOlaf wavuselela abantu ngokuzimisela kwakhe langesipho sokukhuluma kucace, ngakolunye uhlangothi uLaurentius, njengoMelanchthon, wayeqeqetshile, njalo engumuntu ocabangisisayo, futhi ozothileyo. Amadoda lawa womabili ayelungile, belolwazi olukhulu ngokwemfundo yokholo, njalo babelesibindi esikhulu ekuhambiseni kwabo iqiniso. Impikiswano evela ebandleni yayikhona lakibo. Abapristi bebandla benza imizamo yonke, yokwenza ukuthi abantu abangela lwazi babavukele. UOlaf Petri wayehlala ehlaselwa ngabantu njalo ngezikhathi ezinengi wayephosa ebulawe ngabantu laba. Abavuseleli laba kodwa lobakwakunjalo babethandwa yinkosi njalo yazimisela ukuthi yayizabavikela. {GC 242.2}IEP 242.2

Ngaphansi kwamandla webandla leRoma abantu babeyenzwe ukuthi babengabayanga njalo babenyathezekile ngenxa yokuhlukunyezwa ababekwenziwa. Babengatholanga ithuba lokwazi uMbhalo oNgcwele; njalo babesazi kuphela ukukholwa kwemifanekiso lemikhosi, okwakungelamandla wokuletha ukukhanya engqondweni zabantu, lokhu kwenza ukuthi abanengi babuyele enkolweni yamasiko njengabokhokho babo ababekhonza izithixo. Ilizwe lonke laselidabuke phakathi, njalo impikiswano leyi yaseyibangela ukuthi abantu bonke bengahlaliseki. Inkosi ngokuba yayilesifiso sokuguqula isizwe sonke, yamukela ngentokozo abatshumayeli laba ababezama ukukhulula abantu emandleni wemfundiso yebandla leRoma. {GC 243.1}IEP 243.1

Phambi kwenkosi lababusi belizwe laseSweden, uOlaf Petri wasebenzisa isipho sakhe sokukhuluma wamela imfundiso yenkolo yeqiniso wakwenza lokhu ephikisana labaphathi bebandla leRoma. Wachaza ukuthi imfundiso yabaphathi bebandla, yayisamukeleka kuphela, nxa yayivumelana leBhayibhili; njalo lokuthi imfundiso ezimqoka zesiKrestu zitholakala eBhayibhilini kuphela ngokucaca okukhulu, ukwenzela ukuthi wonke umuntu azwisise. UKrestu wathi, “Imfundiso yami ayisiyo yami, kodwa ngeyakhe ongithumileyo” (Johane 7:16); njalo uPhawuli watsho laye ukuthi nxa kwakungenzeka atshumayele elinye ivangeli kulalelo ayelitholile, kwakufanele aqalekiswe (Galathiya 1:8). Waqhubeka uMvuseleli wathi, “Kwenzeka njani ke ukuthi abanye babeke imthetho ngokuthanda kwabo bayenze ukuthi ingenele ekusindisweni kwethu?” (Wylie, b. 10, ch. 4). Wabonisa abantu bonke ukuthi imthetho yebandla yayingela mandla nxa yayiphikisana lamazwi kaNkulunkulu, njalo wabambelela emazwini eMvuselelo wokuthi “iBhayibhili njalo iBhayibhili kuphela” liyinsika yokukholwa lokuphila. {GC 243.2}IEP 243.2

Ukuphikisana lokhu loba kwakusenziwa endaweni esithekileyo, kuyindlela yokusibonisa “isimo lezinga lamadoda ayebumba ibutho elalimele inkolo yeMvuselelo. Kwakungasobantu ababengafundanga, kumbe abantu ababefuna ukuhlamuka, kumbe ababefuna ukulwisa umbuso, kodwa kwakungamadoda ayefunde ilizwi likaNkulunkulu, njalo babesazi ngokuphelela ukusebenzisa izikhali zeBhayibhili ababeziphiwe. Ukuqedisisa kwabo kwakuphambili okwedlula bonke abantu ababephila esikhathini sabo. Nxa sikhangelisisa indawo lezi ezifana leWittenberg laseZurich, njalo lasemabizweni afanana lawabo Luther labo Melanchthon, laboZwingli, labo Oecolampadius, siyatshelwa ukuthi laba kwakungabathungameli beMvuselelo, njalo kulula ukufikelwa ngumcabango wokuthi laba kwakungabantu abalamandla amakhulu njalo lenotho yasemhlabeni, kodwa sithola ukuthi kwakungekho njalo. Sisuke endaweni yaseSweden eyayingaphakamanga kakhulu, njalo lasemabizweni abo Olaf loLaurentius Petri, sisuke kubaphathi siye kubafundi sitholani? ... Kulezikhwicamfundo, amadoda ayeyenelise ukwazi udaba lonke lwevangeli leqiniso, njalo ababesenelisa ukunqoba kalula imfundiso yabaphathi ababephuma ezikolo eziphezulu zaseRoma.”- (Ibid, b. 10. Ch. 4). {GC 243.3}IEP 243.3

Ngenxa yempikiswano leyi eyaseyenziwe, inkosi yaseSweden yamukela inkolo yeMvuselelo, njalo ngemva kwesikhatshana idale lephalamende layamukela lalo ngokufanayo. IThestamenti eLitsha laliphendulelwe elimini lwaseSweden nguOlaf Petri, njalo ngenxa yesifiso senkosi amadoda lawa aqala ukuphendulela iBhayibhili lonke. Ngokunjalo ngokokuqala abantu baseSweden benelisa ukuthola iBhayibhili elipheleleyo elimini lwakibo. Kwabekwa umthetho ngababusi belizwe ukuthi endaweni zonke zelizwe kubekhona abatshumayeli ababefundisa abantu ngelizwi likaNkulunkulu njalo labantwana ezikolo kwakumele bafundiswe ngalo njalo bafundiswe ukulibala. {GC 244.1}IEP 244.1

Kancane kancane ubunyama bokungazi njalo lokulandela amasiko kwasuswa yikukhanya kwevangeli. Ngemva kokukhululwa echukwini lombuso weRoma, ilizwe lenelisa ukufinyelela ezingeni lokuphumelela elalingakaze lifike kilo. Ilizwe laseSweden laba ngelinye lensika yemfundiso yeMvuselelo. Ngemva kweminyaka engamakhulu ngesikhathi senhlupheko, ilizwe leli elincane elalingelamandla ngaphambilini, lahlenga ilizwe laseGermany phakathi kwempi yeminyaka engamatshumi amathathu. Amazwe wonke aseEurope kwasekubonakala sengathi ayezaba ngaphansi kombuso weRoma. Kwakungamabutho aseSweden ayenza ukuthi ilizwe laseGermany linqobe amabutho kapapa, lokuthi lithole ukukhululeka kwabavuseleli, njalo lokhu kwabangela ukuthi amanye amazwe ayeyakhelene lawo athole inkululeko yokuzikhethela inkolo yabo. {GC 244.2}IEP 244.2